I've maybe glossed over a mention of Glenlochy in the Malt Yearbook or one of Michael Jackson's books, but it has never had a form or context for me. It has not been on our radar because it is absolutely one of the rarest single malts on the market today. Purchased by DCL (the company that would become Diageo) in 1953, Glenlochy is one of these distilleries that met its demise during the whisky slump of the early '80s. It had only one wash still and one spirits still. That is to say, they made very little whisky. This is the only bottle of Glenlochy currently available in the US market. It also happens to be the sister cask to the incredibly acclaimed 31 year old Glenlochy that was recently rated 92 points by Serge Valentine of Whiskyfun.com. I cannot express how outrageously complex this whisky is. The range of flavors is unfathomable. This thing is absolutely packed up. It's like unraveling a giant ball of yarn. We start on the almond, nougat, exotic wood, all savory and powerful. Subtlety shifting into the herbal and fruit aromas, this nose is like a chameleon, at once beautifully exotic and powerfully brooding. On the palate, fabulously rich in texture, the whisky is like a ball of plasma oscillating through multiple states of being. It leaves you smiling and exhausted. Seriously, this is one of a kind. -David Othenin-Girard

Product Reviews:

More than anything, Glenlochy just seems mysterious to me. There's simply not much information about the distillery other than important dates and events. I can't find a descriptor of the house style, or any tasting notes that paint a picture of consistancy. Had the whisky we sampled from the cask of 1980 been simply run of the mill or lackluster, I wouldn't have put much more thought into the distillery. However, the taste we had in Pittlochry was transcendent. It was mindblowing whisky, easily ranking among the best I'd ever had. Before writing this I went back into my tasting book to see what I had scribbled down at the time:
Candied nuts, roasted almonds, rich toffee, cotton candy, oils with butter, butterscotch, unbelievably good. Incredible! WOW!
To me, there's nothing more exciting than when the whisky from the ghost of history past completely blows you away and exceeds any possible expectations. Sampling single malt from places like Millburn or Ladyburn can be extremely exciting, until you get to the part where you actually taste it. When it's good, however, there's something magical that happens - rarity, quality, and legend combine to create a total and complete whisky experience. I've only ever tasted one Glenlochy single malt whisky and it's one of the top five in my career. While I've tried to delve a bit deeper into what could have produced something so singular and incredible, there's simply not much information available, in my mind only adding to the mystique.